The Vega is a mixed use residential and commercial development completed in 2023, located in downtown Durham. The property was deemed eligible for participation in the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) Brownfields Redevelopment Section due to existing environmental contamination from past uses of the property that were addressed prior to the redevelopment of the site with the current mixed-use building. The new building includes commercial spaces, a parking area, and resident storage lockers, a lobby, and mail kiosks on the ground floor and residential spaces above.
Prior to construction of the new building, the property was utilized by various tenants or owners in ways that led to contamination of site soils. From 1937 though 2020, various automotive repair shops, mill shops, roofing companies, beverage distributors, car rental businesses, taxi companies, used car dealerships, and metal fabricators (one of which was named Vega Metals, and thus led to the new building’s name) occupied the property, and likely contributed to the soil contamination identified on the property.
WithersRavenel’s Environmental Geosciences Team was brought into the project by the developer to navigate and assist with the Brownfields redevelopment process, which included assessments of soil and groundwater contamination and preparation of the Environmental Management Plan required by the Brownfields Program. WithersRavenel also assisted by overseeing soil remediation activities, designing a Vapor Intrusion Mitigation System (VIMS), providing construction oversight of the VIMS, and periodic monitoring of indoor air and sub slab vapor for volatile organic compounds to demonstrate that the VIMS functions as designed for the protection of the residents and patrons of the building.
Pursuant to Brownfields Redevelopment Section requirements, WithersRavenel collected sub-slab vapor and indoor air samples after the VIMS was activated. Based on the laboratory analysis results for these samples, the VIMS is functioning as designed for the protection of building residents and patrons.